


Flowers for Your Wedding

by Sky2Fall



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Billy Hargrove is a Little Shit, F/M, M/M, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-02-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:14:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22520833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sky2Fall/pseuds/Sky2Fall
Summary: Nancy and Jonathan are getting married, and Billy has found the perfect way to get under Nancy's skin one last time.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington, Jonathan Byers/Nancy Wheeler
Comments: 13
Kudos: 144





	Flowers for Your Wedding

**Author's Note:**

> So I absolutely LIVE for Billy being a catty fucking bitch to Nancy despite Steve having no hard feelings towards her, and I was inspired by that tumblr post about a passive aggressive fuck you bouquet to write this fic :)
> 
> Unbetaed

Jonathan can't remember being happier than he is right now, seated beside Nancy, listening to Hopper give his fumbling, somewhat awkward toast to their marriage. Because yeah, he's married now!! To Nancy!! The concept is still sinking in, and every time he remembers that Nancy is his wife now, not his girlfriend or his fiance but his wife, he feels giddy and excited. He keeps looking at Nancy (his wife!!) and she's grinning just as hard as he is. Jonathan couldn't be more in love.

Hopper's toast isn't very long, the man has always been more than a little awkward with speaking about his feelings, and pretty soon he's sitting down next to Joyce, who's unabashedly weeping and grinning as hard as she can. Jonathan couldn't be luckier.

"Alright guys," says a familiar voice, "I'll make this quick, cause I'm just as hungry as you are." That gets a lighthearted chuckle out of everyone, including Jonathan. Steve Harrington always was a charmer, and ever since he fell head over heels in love with Billy Hargrove of all people, he's really matured into that charm. Jonathan looks over at Steve. He's standing up, hair perfectly styled as always, beaming at Nancy and Jonathan both. Beside him Billy Hargrove smirks up at him from his seat.

"Nancy," says Steve after the chuckles have died down, "Jonathan. You two are the perfect couple, and I'm so glad you found each other, and I'm so glad I have you both in my life. Nancy, you're so smart and determined and clever. If it wasn't for your tutoring I would never have graduated high school!" This gets another light hearted chuckle from the crowd. "And Jonathan, I can't imagine a man better for Nancy than you. You're able to give her everything that she needs and more, and she deserves that," Jonathan grins even harder, and he sees Billy roll his eyes beside Steve.

"We've been through tough times together, and there were times that we didn't see eye to eye, but we came out the other side stronger for it. I'm glad that our friendship has gotten as strong as it has, and I hope it'll only get stronger." As he says that, Billy stands up beside him and picks up a vase with an elaborate flower arrangement. Jonathan looks over at Nancy, who looks just as surprised as he does.

"That's why we brought this," says Steve beaming proudly as Billy saunters over to the table, arrangement in hand. "I hope that our relationship only continues to grow and flower as time goes on." Billy sets the vase down on the table and smiles at Nancy. Well, more like he smirks at her. It's a nice arrangement, too. Lots of orange and yellow and pinkish-purple in it. Really pretty. But Billy is looking exceedinly smug. Even smuger than usual. Jonathan looks at Nancy and her smile looks a little tight around the edges. Jonathan feels like he's missing something a punchline.

"Also you can keep the vase," adds Steve, eliciting another laugh from the audience as Billy saunters back to Steve's side and sits back down in his chair, looking like the cat that caught the canary. "Nancy, Jonathan, I wish you two a lifetime of happiness, and I hope I can be there to see it happen."

A round of applause signals the end of Steve's toast and the beginning of the meal, and pretty soon the venue is filled with the sounds of chatter and clinking silverware. Nancy's smile doesn't look as tight as it did when Billy was giving her his gift, but she keeps glancing at it every so often.

"Hey Nance," says Jonathan softly, "What's up?" Nancy sighs and gives him a smile, one of the ones that she smiles after Steve has done something both incredibly well-meaning and incredibly dumb. It's a good smile on her, and that soothes most of his worry.

"Don't worry about it, it's nothing big. I'll tell you later, husband," she emphasizes the last word and Jonathan feels like his chest is going to burst from how happy he is as she leans in to kiss him.

"You got it, wife," he says into her lips.

~*~

It isn't until the next week, after their honeymoon is over and they're sorting through their wedding gifts, that Jonathan is reminded of the oddness of that night. He finds the vase, a very pretty thing, all carved crystal, maybe quartz?

"Hey Nancy," he calls to the other side of the room. "What did you want to do with the vase that Steve and Billy got us?"

"Oh that?" she looks over with a tight lipped expression. "Let's put it with the nice dishware."

"Gotcha," he says, but the question still niggles at his mind. "So what was up with the bouquet? When Billy gave it to us, he seemed way too smug."

"Yeah, he did, didn't he?" replies Nancy grimly. "That smug son of a bitch."

"Nance?" 

Nancy sighs and shakes her head and cocks her head at Jonathan.

"Did you know that there's a language to flowers?" she asks. Jonathan shakes his head. "Yeah, Steve doesn't either. He once brought me marigolds for a date. I didn't have the heart to tell him that marigolds mean cruelty and grief. But let me tell you, Billy clearly does."

"Why do you say that?" asks Jonathan, still feeling off balance from the revelation that flowers apparently have meanings like this.

"Well, let's see..." Nancy says, starting to count on her fingers, "geraniums for stupidity, foxglove for insincerity, meadowsweet for uselessness, yellow carnations for disappointment, and orange lillies for hatred." Nancy leans her hip against the kitchen counter. "Honestly, I'm a littel impressed.

Jonathan looks at her in confusion.

"Wait, what?" 

Nancy's scowl breaks into a fond grin and Jonathan feels a little bit of relief.

"Yeah, that entire bouquet was basically Billy's way of saying 'Fuck you' to me in front of everyone." She shakes her head, looking out the window. "God, I will never understand what Steve sees in him.

Jonathan walks over to Nancy and wraps her in a hug, feeling his heart beat just a little faster as she nuzzles into his shoulder.

"Well, that's by far the most 'Billy' thing he could have possibly done," says Jonathan, which gets a laugh out of Nancy. "Yeah, I don't get what Steve sees in Billy either, but Steve clearly does. Have you seen the way that those two smile at each other when they think that no one's looking?"

"Yeah," Nancy concedes, still pressing her face into Jonathan's chest.

"They're good for each other," Jonathan continues, swaying back and forth with Nancy in his arms. "Steve seems so much more comfortable with who he is than he ever did back in high school, and I think that's cause of Billy."

"Yeah," Nancy concedes again. "I just wish Billy wasn't such an ass all the time."

"Yeah, me too," agrees Jonathan, "But I think that's just how he is." The two sway together in silence for a bit longer. "So do you still want to keep the vase?" he asks eventually.

"Oh absolutely," says Nancy with certainty pulling back and smiling at Jonathan. "Steve picked that vase out himself and it's gorgeous."

Jonathan smiles and kisses Nancy, because he's so in love with her and he's taking every opportunity he can find to kiss her, and they go back to cleaning.

The next week, when they have Steve and Billy over for dinner, Nancy puts the vase out with an arrangement of daffodils, yellow poppies, and some orange flower she says is called nasturtium. Jonathan doesn't get it, but based on the way Billy's smirk falters when he sees the arrangement, he guesses that it conveys the message she was going for.

**Author's Note:**

> So I made up the retort arrangement myself, and I'm actually quite pleased with it. Yellow poppies mean wealth and success and nasturtium means victory in battle (nasturtium flowers are also edible and taste kinda like a spicy carrot). The daffodils, however, are what I'm especially proud of. Daffodils themselves mean regard, unrequited love, and devotion, but they're also from the narcissus genus, which broadly means egotism, formality, and "stay sweet as you are." So, in short, Nancy had a very solid retort, and Billy was not expecting that :)


End file.
